AFRL Researcher Awarded Patent for Flight Positioning System Published May 23, 2013 By Holly Jordan Aerospace Systems WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The Air Force Research Lab's William Blake secured a US patent for an innovative flight positioning system that has already played a critical role in a recent Air Force fuel-reduction demonstration. By studying the wake of KC-135 aircraft involved in a recent AFRL Automated Aerial Refueling flight demonstration, Blake determined that he could predictably and uniquely define position relative to the lead aircraft (or to the wake of the lead aircraft) by measuring angle and sideslip on a trailing aircraft. Blake's system also played a key role in the Surfing Aircraft Vortices for Energy ($AVE) program, a joint AFRL and DARPA effort to demonstrate fuel savings on C-17 aircraft by flying in bird-like formation to take advantage of the associated drag reduction. Blake's system was considered the "truth" model by Boeing and was used to verify the accuracy of software changes Boeing made for the $AVE flight tests. These changes allowed the trail aircraft to maintain formation position safely and precisely with no pilot intervention, reducing the pilot workload that would make such flight impractical for long distances. The $AVE flight test proved that formation flight could lead to fuel savings of five percent to ten percent, translating into millions of gallons--and dollars--per year. Blake believes his flight positioning system could easily be retrofitted to existing aircraft or incorporated into existing systems through the addition of one or more air data systems. The system is extremely versatile, GPS-independent, requires no data link between aircraft, and can operate in all weather. These key features, and the fact that the system requires nothing of the pilot, make it a crucial link in the effort to reduce Air Force fuel consumption.